mind,Body and soul:The mind is weak
by Innosense
Summary: The world is turned on its ear. Ash,May and Pikachu are fleeing from the world as fugitives,framed by doppelgangers.Old friends become enemies and vice versa as they struggle to escape from Brock,Dawn,Misty and Tracey.
1. Chapter 1:Keep your friends close

"Well well well what do we have here?" The strawberry blonde woman muttered as she watched her monitoring screen, the slightly low pitch of her voice perking in anticipation. Her purple eyes scanned across to her partner, a man with brown eyes and green hair. "You seeing this Dutch?"

The green haired man became irritated. "How many times do I have to tell you, of all people, Cassidy? My name is Butch. Putting that aside what am I supposed to be seeing?" He asked, peering over her shoulder.

"Aside from the first evidence that the Team Rocket spy satellite system is working perfectly. It's the team of 3 that those dipshits, Jesse and James can never seem to best." Cassidy remarked. "But now there are 4 of them and the 2 in the lead seem to be a couple. The perfect guise for us to prove we are infinitely better than crazy Jessie and her band of morons." Cassidy said with an evil smirk.

"And how do ya propose we do that?" Butch asked, clearly dumbfounded.

Cassidy sneered. "I think it's time we visit Team Rockets trickiest prisoner."

Down in her cell, a green haired girl is strapped to a chair with her eyes squeezed shut. "I won't look at the screens, I won't look at the screens. I won't!"

The grunt standing in her cell grows angrier as she shows more defiance. "The more you defy my orders the more pain your precious Pokémon get put through."

The girl was near her breaking point. For three days they had her strapped to this chair trying to break her will. "Do what you want with me but don't hurt my Pokémon!" She cried out.

"Grunt! Shut the system down. We'll take it from here." Cassidy called into the cell.

The grunt did as he was told and bowed as he walked out of the cell. On his way out he whispers to the girl. "You got lucky that my superiors showed up."

"Move it grunt you have toilets to clean!" Butch yelled.

"Yes sir!" The grunt called out nervously before he walked out grumbling a line of expletives followed by something about preferring KP duty.

Cassidy looked at the girl with a smile on her face. "How the mighty have fallen huh Duplica? You put up a good act by disguising yourself as a grunt. Why'd you do it though?"

Duplica opened her tired eyes and looked at the smiling face of Cassidy. "I was trying to free all the Pokémon you stole. As well as get information to a friend of mine."

"A nobler cause there has never been. To bad your attempts to gain higher clearance by disguising yourself as 009 failed. The DNA scanners really help don't they?" Cassidy teased.

Duplica scoffed. "Was there a point to this or did you just come down here to piss me off?"

Butch fiddled with the brainwashing CD as he tried to get the video system to spit it out. "Stupid hunk-a-junk." He grumbled.

"Come on you brain dead idiot." Cassidy called in annoyance.

"Ah ha! Got it. Now I just have to put this in." He slid the disc into the drive of the video system and pressed the play button.

"You've missed out on a lot while you've been down here. Including the recent death of contest superstar May "The princess of Hoenn" but that's not all. Here's footage from one of our satellites. See the couple? That wouldn't happen to be that friend you mentioned would it?" Cassidy said pointing at Ash and May.

Duplica looked on and realised exactly what had happened, in her own sleep deprived mind. "That bastard. He'll pay for ditching Misty. You want me to help you with something that involves making them look bad right?"

"The girls smart." Butch remarked.

"Smarter than you." Cassidy shot back. "If you help us with this we'll release you and you're Ditto from our prison. You scratch our back and we'll scratch yours."

Duplica stared at the screen angrily. "What do you want me to do?

Cassidy smiled an evil smile. "Make us look like them and we'll go cause some mischief. Rob a few stores, steal a Pokémon or two. You know the usual."

Duplica was quick to pick up on their plan. "They take the blame and get shunned by society. Alright I'll do it."

Meanwhile Ash and co. have left the confines of Valor forest after a very rough ordeal in which Ash and May confessed their love for each other. This turn of events however leaves more than just Duplica seeing red.

"I still can't believe it! We were having a nice little grandiose adventure and she comes in and ruins my one of my dreams." The blue haired girl complains to the tan skinned former gym leader walking next to her.

"The world isn't just going to revolve around us Dawn. Even if May and even Misty have left our group, feelings of love and lust will continue. The only difference is that May came forward first. And it's extremely possible Ash had similar feelings right from the moment he met May." Brock said, dispensing more of an understanding of romance than he lets on.

"You know we can still hear you Dawn!" May called out from up ahead.

"Stop the bickering you two. Let me finish this. Dawn. You are a sweet girl but you're just too vain. I like a girl who's ready to rough it and doesn't care how she looks two seconds after she wakes up." Ash said.

"Then why didn't you go out with Misty? It was obvious the two of you liked each other." Brock said.

"Misty was to into roughing it without actually roughing it. As much as she loved the outdoors she was more than ready to leave at the first sight of a bug Pokémon and if I'm honest she was more at home on the beach than in a forest where we routinely spent the night. That's what I like about May. She enjoys roughing it, she's equally at home in the forest as she is in the snow and the city." Ash said, smiling, "Plus I've only ever had one big fight with May whereas misty was more than ready to punch my head in and Dawn, we get along to well." Ash said with a deep look of thought on his face. One that carried him straight into a brick wall.

May caught him as he fell, using her powers to lift him back up onto his feet.

Dawn looked on shocked. "Well if that's how you feel then who needs you? I'm going off on my own." She ran past the couple and through the divider building built to keep wild Pokémon out of the city. "Go to hell Ash Ketchum!" Dawn called back, tears falling from her face and hitting the ground.

"Great. I'm going to go find her and calm her down." Brock said. "You two gonna come into the city limits?"

"Nah. We'll just camp out here tonight. Won't we buddy?" Ash said referring to Pikachu.

When he didn't hear Pikachu's response he turned and saw May and Pikachu on the ground laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ash asked.

"Nothing, nothing. It's a joke. Only Pokémon get it." May replied alluding to the fact that she was no longer human.

"Right. I keep forgetting you're a Pokémon now. Right Mew?" Ash said slyly.

"Yup." May said as pink ears grew out the top of her head.

Brock just shook his head, confused, and walked into the city. "I wish I could remember what happened that night."

Back at Team Rocket Headquarters Duplica has finished her makeover on Cassidy and Butch and was giving them a final piece of technology to complete the illusion.

"These necklaces will change the tone and pitch of your voice to match those of Ash and his little flings. There. All done. Now for your end of the deal." Duplica said with a smile.

"Right." Cassidy said with Mays voice. "These things work really well. Can we turn them off for now?"

"Yeah. There's a switch on the back that switches the voice modulator on and off. Right… here." Duplica said as she turned off Cassidy/Mays "Now you try Botch."

Butch/Ash reached around and pressed the button to turn off his before he replied. "It's Butch." He said with a sigh.

"Right this way please. We'll let you use the teleporter." Cassidy said as they lead Duplica into a room with a metal circle on the floor and Electrodes hooked to tesla blasters on the roof.

"Ready Electrode?" Butch asked as he pushed Duplica into the circle. "Activate the chamber please Cassidy."

"Already on it Butch." Cassidy said as she pressed a series of buttons.

"It's Butch not Bu…Oh that's what you said." He realized.

"Listen before you react." Cassidy scolded him as a glass tube came up around Duplica.

"Uh…What's this for?" Duplica asked nervously.

"Beneath you is a vault of psychic Pokémon. The circle on the ground spins and channels their power through the chamber. The electrodes power the tesla blasters which charge the psychic energy. We input coordinates and the psychic energy reacts by teleporting you wherever you want." Cassidy said as she turned a dial until it displayed an image of a Pikachu.

"Let's send her back to Kanto." Butch suggested.

"An excellent idea. Initiating." Cassidy said as she pressed a green button.

The ring began to spin and rose out of its casing and swept across the inside of the tube. The Electrodes fired off thunderbolts which caused the tesla blasters to fire and start shocking Duplica.

"Psyche! We all know that the kid is always seen with his Pikachu. So you're going to be our Pikachu. When this DNA altering device is done you will be a cute little Pikachu." Cassidy said laughing.

"No!" Duplica screamed as she felt her body warp. Her hair grew all over her body as her ears extended. Her eyes changed color from green to brown and the characteristic marks of a Pikachu formed on her body. The electric sacs formed on her cheeks as the brown stripes began to grow on her back. The zigzag tail of a Pikachu slowly appeared as her tail bone grew to fit inside of it. Then all at once she began to shrink as she lost all memory of who she once was. She forgot how to say anything else but the word Pikachu. The only sign of her old self left was that her ears drooped off to each side slightly, mimicking her old pigtails.

Turning back on their voice modulators Massidy and Bash began to laugh with Duplicachu joining in.

Floating above Veilstone town are the ever hungry and poverty stricken, Jesse, James and their obnoxious talking Meowth, Meowth.

"Man I'm so hungry. We haven't eaten a ting in days" Meowth said as he scanned the town for signs of an easy meal. "Ohh. Hey guys ya have to look at dis!" He cried as he waved his left paw behind him.

"What is it Meowth? We don't want to waste what little energy we have left." Jesse said as she pulled out her own pair of binoculars and looked where Meowth was pointing.

Dawn sits on the side of a street crying as her Piplup tries to cheer her up.

"Well well. Looks like the twerps had a falling out." Jesse remarked as she watched on with a smile on her face.

"And dere's da cause. Contest twoipette number one is back and looks like her and the head twoip are an item. Guess that don't sit well with contest twoipette number 2." Meowth deduced.

"You guys ever get the feeling that we missed something important. Or that something important is about to happen." James said as he sat slumped against one wall of the basket.

"Nu uh." Jesse replied looking at her teammate with a confused look.

"Nevah why?" Meowth asked.

"Just a feeling I've got. Trying to steal Pikachu now might not be a good idea. I think Cassidy and Boff are up to something and that soon the twerp couple might need our help." James said.

"If it's to thwart Cassidy and Butch then I'll gladly help the twerps." Jesse said with fire in her eyes.

"I hope that if that time ever comes Jesse, that you'll be as quick to help as you are to run your mouth." James said.


	2. Chapter 2:your enemies closer

The sun sets as Brock rushes through the emptying city looking for his friend. Brock finds Dawn in front of the Veilstone department store, still sniffling.

"Are you alright Dawn?" Brock asks, squatting down next to the coordinator.

"No, no I'm not." Dawn says, her voice warbling with a mixture of sadness and anger.

Brock looks at her Pokémon watch to check the time. "It's getting late. Come on. We can spend the night at the Pokémon center, Ash, May and Pikachu are camping outside. I'll have a chat with Ash about this tomorrow alright? Come on. I need to make a phone call." Brock said as he helped the young girl to her feet.

A sudden explosion at the game corner knocks them both to the ground. The two Pokémon enthusiasts look up just in time to see Ash, May and Pikachu running away from the explosion, bags of what Brock assumed must be money.

"Go get an Officer Jenny." Brock told Dawn. "They should be up in that building over there." He pointed towards a former Team Galactic base. "I've got several calls to make now."

Outside the city, Ash and May are asleep in their sleeping bags when Ash and May go running past them. The running pair stops and eyes up the sleeping pair.

"Score lets hide the bags we have hidden in my backpack behind the bushes their sleeping near."Ash suggests.

"An excellent idea. Even better if we hide the bags we're holding in his backpack." May adds on.

The two of them then proceed to speak in unison. "Two for one. The fakers win and the reals lose."

Floating up above the city in their balloon, the explosion woke up Team Rocket.

"What was dat?" Meowth grumbled, as he rubbed his eyes with his paws.

"Don't know. Why don't you take a look?" Jesse yawned before she fell asleep again.

Meowth groaned as he pulled his pair of binoculars out of their equipment case.

James, who had been soundly sleeping up till now, realised that something had exploded. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Ten seconds to late James. I'm already lookin." Meowth shot back at the amazing stupidity of his teammate. "Sometimes I wonder how we passed the graduation exa-… Whoa. James quick! Wake Jesse. Looks like you was right. Something big is goin down and da twoip couple is at the centre!"

James nudged Jesse awake and was almost kicked out the side of their basket.

"James why'd you wake me? I need my beauty sleep." Jesse roared.

"Listen lady dere ain't much beauty left in you at da best of times. He woke you cause I asked him to. Check dis out. Dem twoipy couple is making off wit bags a loot!" Meowth said as Jesse snatched the binoculars out of his paws to take a look.

"Well I'll be darned. Looks like James was right." Jesse said. Her tone quickly changed as she noticed something outside the city. "Hold on. If that's the twerp couple there then how are they asleep outside the city?" She asked pointing at the sleeping Ash and May in their sleeping bags.

"I dunno." Meowth said as he cocked his head quizzically before coming to a shocking conclusion. "Wait James! Remember what you said earlier? You had a feeling something big was happening and dat da twoips might need our help cause of Cassidy and Batch?"

James looked a little confused as he tried to remember what he'd said six hours ago. "I did say something along those lines didn't I? Why?"

"Well picture dis." Meowth began, starting up another scatterbrained idea. "Cassidy and Dotch are lookin for a way to show us up. So dey disguise demselves as da twoip couple and go on a crime spree. Da twoips get blamed and our one reason for staying in Team Rocket is gone when dey get thrown in da slammer."

Jesse looks stunned while James looks to be in deep thought. Both too distracted to say anything.

But, those were last night's events…

Come morning Ash and May find themselves surrounded by Officer Jenny's with Brock and Dawn looking at them sadly.

"What's going on?" Ash asks as he pulls himself up and out of his sleeping bag and began to stretch.

"Yeah. You'd think with all the Jenny's around us we'd done something wrong." May joked, she chose to sit up in her sleeping bag rather than get out of it.

The lead Jenny shouldered her way through the crowd of other Jenny's and handcuffed Ash. "You're both under arrest for damage to public property and theft."

"Wha?" Ash remarked as he fell to the ground face first. Sergeant Jenny pushing his shoulder into the ground.

May sent a shockwave rippling through the crowd. Knocking everyone back and shattering the handcuffs on Ash's wrist. As she grabbed Pikachu and put her hand on Ash's back, the Jenny's leapt to their feet and pulled out their handguns.

Ash, who was still planted face first in the dirt told May not to worry. "After all. They've got no proof."

Sergeant Jenny laughed. "No proof eh? We have security video from the crime scene, the bags of money we found in your bag and hidden in the bushes and finally," The Jenny gestured to Brock and Dawn. "Eyewitness accounts. We have more than enough evidence to send you two lovey dovey psychos away for a good, long time."

May grabbed Ash and Pikachu again, and teleported a few feet away. "No chance to prove our innocence? We've been out here all night!"

"May stop lying!" Dawn yelled at her.

"Seriously. It's no good you two. We saw you bust out of the game corner and run this way." Brock said as he held Dawn back by her arms.

"So Dawns gonna take an early offensive cause she's still sore I got to Ash before she did? Don't kid yourself bitch. Why don't you tell her about what happened between Ash and Misty Brock? Or are you to scared that it might make things worse?" May retaliated, her dark blue eyes lightened to an aqua color.

"Don't do it Brock! You promised not to tell anyone. I don't think Misty will ever be the same person after that." Ash said, his arms wrapped around May to keep her from hurting anyone. "We have no proof that we've been out here all night. Let's just run! I don't want anyone to get hurt. Especially not you."

Pikachu let out a low power shock to and watched as all the Jenny's dropped their weapons.

Once again floating above the action is Team Rocket.

"Man more noise? Dis is da woist nights sleep I've ever had." Meowth said as he once again pulled out his binoculars and looked down. "Hey guys wake up. James scores again. Da twoips have split in two. Now its da twoip couple and Pikachu with da other two twoips being backed by a gang of cops"

"Lemme see." Jesse said as she snatched the binoculars out of his paw again.

"Ya know ya could just ask for 'em." Meowth scolded.

"I could but where's the fun in that?" she asked. "Hey you're right! So why do we care?"

"Damn Jessie. And I thought I was the stupid one." James teased. "We go help them. After all this was Cassidy and Biffs doing."

"May if your gonna get us out of here do it now." Ash spoke through gritted teeth.

"I can't teleport that far yet or else we'd be out of here by now." May shot back.

"Look." Brock said pointing up to the sky.

Everyone turned and looked in the direction he was pointing.

Team Rocket landed their balloon next to Ash and May and launched into their motto.

"Listen is that an accusing voice I hear?" Jessie started

"It jumps to me loud and clear." James added.

"On the wind…" Jesse said as she struck a pose

"Past the stars…" James continued as he posed with his rose.

"In your ears." Meowth chimed in for absolutely no reason at all.

"Bringing hope at a breakneck pace." Jesse said, excited to be playing hero for once.

"Dashing chaos, putting lies in their place." James nodded in agreement.

"A rose by any other names is just as sweet." Jesse, rosy cheeks and all, practically squealed.

"When everything's better our work is complete." James cringed as he ran his finger through his ear.

"Jesse" she said, mimicking a Pokémon.

"James" he said following suite.

"And Meowth now dat's a name" Meowth showed off.

"Putting the liars in their place…" Jessie pulled off her Team rocket uniform to reveal a formal blazer and long skirt in a deep red color.

"We're Team Rocket…" James said pulling off his uniform to reveal a deep blue suit and tie with matching dress slacks.

"In your face!" all three of them said with Meowth wearing a judge's robe and wig.

Ash looked confused. "You're with us on this one?"

Jesse looked him in the eye and answered him. "We saw what happened last night. We also saw you and your girlfriend asleep outside the city limits. At the same time. So we know it wasn't you. Besides you wouldn't do anything like that. You're too kind."

May looked at them with scrutiny. "How do we know this isn't a trick to capture Pikachu?"

Meowth looked shocked. "If we wanted Pikachu we coulda nabbed him without youse noticing. We came down ta help ya and dis is how we get treated?"

"May I wouldn't look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. We got a way out of here and it looks like we have at least some allies." Ash said as Pikachu jumped into the basket of the balloon.

"… alright you got me there." May admitted.

Ash let go of May and she released a psychic shield to keep the Jenny's from trying to stop them before climbing into the basket.

Jesse fired up the balloon and they accelerated up into the sky.

"Whew. We sure dodged a bullet there." May said, wiping sweat from her forehead.

Sergeant Jenny was not impressed. "Get every Special Weapons And Jenny Tactics team you can muster patrolling the possible entry and exit points to every region. We're bringing them in dead or alive."

Back in Cerulean city, the red haired gym leader sits at the vid phone in the gym leaders section of the gym as she has been for the past 8 hours, smiling with a psychotic twinkle in her eye. "I will take from you what you took from me when you left me Ash Ketchum. Your happiness."


	3. Chapter 3:Know who you can trust

"I still can't believe he'd do this Samuel. He was always such a good boy." The brown haired woman cried over the phone.

"I know Delia. I can hardly believe it myself. Did Brock tell you who else he was with?" The elder man asked. "Gary's over in that region somewhere maybe I can get him to track Ash down."

"No. Brock just told me he saw Ash running out of a building with two sacks of money. Pikachu was holding one too apparently. If you could get Gary to do that I'm sure things would go lots smoother." The woman smiled at the idea, tears still running down her face.

"Right. I'll just set this to conference call and give Gary a buzz. Brock told me that May was with him. The girl who was killed by her father not even three days ago." Samuel said as Gary's line went from static to a close up of the junior researcher's face.

"Was sup Gramps?" The brown haired young man asked as buildings and people moved by around him.

"Hi Gary." Delia said before she responded to Samuel. "How is that possible?"

"Hello Mrs. Ketchum. How is what possible?" Gary asked.

"Gary. Sorry I just need to ask you to find Ash for us. Call me when you find him alright? I have to get going now. Tracey needs my help with Ash's Tauros again." Samuel told his grandson as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Come on Professor they're heading for the food storage again." Came a voice from the background.

"Coming Tracey. Here Gary this is Ash's last known location according to Brock. And Delia your welcome at the Oak ranch anytime you need help." Professor Oak said as he ran off.

"Don't worry Mrs. Ketchum. I'll find him." Gary said before cancelling his connection.

Delia Ketchum was left holding the phone in her hand as the other connections went to static. She began to cry.

"Looks like we're coming up on the Hoenn region" Ash noted. "Look there's Mount Pyre."

May let out a surprised shriek. "Ash I'd be more focused on what's up here with us." She said pointing past his head.

Jesse and James looked in the direction she was pointing and screamed.

Meowth grabbed Ash and May and pulled them down. "You two wanna lose ya heads? You're doing it right then."

Jesse and James dropped to the floor of the basket just as a Helicopter flew past and cut two of the ropes holding the basket to the balloon.

Ash looked down. "We're over water. Jump!"

May's Pokémon instincts took over and she jumped out of the basket and dove towards the water.

Meowth did the same thing as Ash pulled Jesse and James up to the edge and pushed them off. He checked on the position of the helicopter and noticed it was coming back to cut the last two ropes.

"This is gonna be close." He said to no one in particular. He launched himself out of the basket just as the helicopter came back around and cut the ropes.

One of the blades cut the straps on the back up backpack he had brought with him and sent it hurtling towards the earth.

Ash twisted in midair as Pikachu poked his head out of the backpack. "Pikachu!" Ash called to his Pokémon.

"PikaPi!" The mouse Pokémon called back.

May heard the dilemma and shifted into a Swellow and executed a U-climb, using the momentum she had picked up while diving to turn and climb straight up.

The Helicopter opened up and an Officer Jenny with a sniper appeared and took aim. "Bean bags loaded, aiming at the Swellow."

Back at the abandoned Galactic building in Veilstone Sergeant Jenny responded to the transmission, giving her subordinate clearance to fire.

As May reached Pikachu the Jenny fired and hit Mays left wing causing her to shift back to her human form.

"Pikachu jump out of the bag!" May called out to the frightened mouse.

Pikachu did just that. May caught the mouse with her right arm and turned to dive as her left arm hung limp, broken from the impact of the bean bag on her arm while she was a Swellow.

Meowth hit the water face first while Jesse executed a perfect dive. James did the same thing as Meowth as Ash continued to fall backwards.

Ash watched as May saved Pikachu and tried to yell a thank you up to her.

The sniper Jenny reported the hit and loaded live rounds into her rifle. "Aiming at primary target one, male suspect." The response came almost immediately.

"Green light to fire, take him out corporal." Sergeant Jenny responded.

May noticed the Jenny aiming at Ash and told Pikachu to reach into her bag and throw something at her.

"Pika?" the lightning mouse asked as it pulled out a Rice cake.

"It'll have to do." May shrugged and angled them towards the open hatch of the helicopter. "Now!"

"Pi Pikachu!" The Pokémon yelled as it threw the rice ball at the Jenny's face.

The rice ball hit Jenny in the face as she pulled the trigger. Her aim disrupted the shot hit Ash in his right knee, shattering the bone.

"Ahh!" The trainer screamed as the G's of the fall caught up with him. Knocking him out. The wind now blowing his cap off.

"I can't transform with a broken arm." May told the Pokémon as they fell.

"PikaPiiii!" the electric type called out to his trainer.

Meowth rolled over as Jesse surfaced and James floated over to them before Jesse rolled him over.

Meowth looked up and saw Ash falling towards them. "Incoming Twoip!" Meowth called out.

Jesse and James swam around to get into a position to catch him.

Meowth noticed Ash's shadow as it moved directly on top of him and stopped. "Why does dis always happen ta me?" He whined as Ash landed on top of him.

May and Pikachu hit the water hard knocking May unconscious causing her to revert back into Mew. Pikachu grabbed her and pulled her to the surface.

Jesse and James grabbed Ash off Meowth and carried him to a nearby island.

Pikachu dragged Mew through the water to the same island albeit on the opposite end.

May regained consciousness shortly after reaching shore and looked over to Pikachu who was watching the ocean, looking for Ash. As she tried to get up she looked down at herself and discovered she had turned back into mew. Levitating herself off the ground she floated over to Pikachu and tried to comfort it.

On the other side of the island ash regained his consciousness too and tried to pull himself up.

James noticed and walked over to him "Easy. You have a broken leg so You can't move. We'll have to get you to a hospital when we make it back to the mainland."

Pikachu noticed something floating out in the waves and directed Mays attention to it.

May flew out and looked at it before realizing it was Ash's cap. Quickly she picked it up and brought it back to Pikachu who took it and began to cry for fear that his trainer had drowned.

May began to cry next to him.


	4. Chapter 4:Timer begin

"Say again Corporal." Sergeant Jenny fumed. "Did I just hear you say that your aim was disrupted by a rice cake to your face?"

"Yes Sergeant. I missed the head but I at least broke one of his legs. I didn't see what happened to the Swellow." The Corporal Jenny tried to lighten the wrath of her superior.

"The Swellow target was to dial in the accuracy of the rifle at that moment I'm guessing. Don't worry about it, a trainer will find it, capture it and nurse it back to health. The broken leg though will help our cause as it will slow him down. Dismissed corporal." The sergeant saluted over the vid link.

The corporal returned the salute and killed the connection. Sergeant Jenny turned to face Dawn and Brock who were standing behind her.

"It's at this point I'm going to have to ask you to leave. Continue with what you were doing before this started and leave this situation to the professionals. My superior will take over this case and your friends will probably only end up serving jail time." The NCO told them.

Brock leveled his gaze with hers. "Normally I'd be going head over heels to do what you ask but I'm afraid I'm going to have to flat out refuse. I want to know why Ash chose to do this. And I'm sure his family and friends all over the world must have seen the news by now. Face it. There's more help for him in high places than you could ever know." Brock stated. "You're going to need all the help you can get."

"Brock wants to know why Ash did it. I just want revenge." Dawn said, her voice full of malice. "I will ensure that no matter the help Ash gets, May will face the full brunt of the law."

Brock turned towards the girl is face taking on a half concerned- half thoughtful face. "Ignoring the four year age gap there, what made you think you could have become his girlfriend? You're an inexperienced coordinator who was competing with a Gym leader, the events of his short lived romance with Misty we agreed never to speak of again, and his star pupil, once a very successful coordinator before her murder and resurrection. Not to mention the fact they're both about his age, Misty is about two years older than him and May was about one year younger. You're a ten year old junior coordinator who has only won a single official contest ribbon. Misty eats trainers your level for breakfast and May could wipe the floor with you seven times before you hit the ground." Brock finished.

The Jenny slipped out of the room as Dawn let loose her anger.

"You had to bring up all that didn't you? Way to make me feel absolutely shitty." Dawn yelled as she punched Brock repeatedly in the head. "The worst part isn't that it's all lies. No it's worse because it's all true! I'd been ignoring those facts for quite a few months now. And you just had to jam them in my face. You know what? Screw you Brock." Dawn huffed. "I need some alone time." She stormed out of the room, the angry cloud practically visible above her head.

Sergeant Jenny slipped back in from the other door and walked up behind Brock. "Piece of advice for you. Tread lightly dude, tread lightly."

Night fell once more. The three humans and three Pokémon had been stranded for close to twelve hours. It had begun to rain about six hours ago and showed no signs of letting up. May and Pikachu took shelter under some big leaves further inland while Team Rocket had built a shelter closer to the shore, then built a stretcher to move Ash inside.

While the rest of the separated group slept May found herself awake for some reason. As she looked at the moon from her position under the leaves, the edge of her vision softened and tinted pink. She knew why. Mew wanted to speak with her. Almost immediately she blacked out and found herself floating in blackness. Staring her down with unblinking eyes was Mew.

"I have an important message to deliver to you. Time is running out. The next forty-eight hours you will face will test you. I can't say much more. Higher powers are watching. Be ready to lose everything should worst come to worst. When you awaken your arm will be healed and you will have changed your clothes in your human form. The forty-eight hours start now." Mew said as all at once the feeling of being detached from her body began again.

The word 'now' echoed through Mays mind as she awoke. The rain had stopped. May groaned and held her head. "What happened last night? It feels like a herd of Lairon charged through me." May stopped and felt along her head. "No ears, no fur." She looked at the arm she was using to support her weight as she sat up. "My left arm. I can move it again." She looked down at her outfit as she untied her bandanna and held it in front of her. Gone was the sleeveless red shirt with the green bandanna and pack. Her new outfit now mirrored the one she had worn when travelling with Ash through Hoenn and later, through Kanto. Except now everything was "Blue? I wasn't expecting something a so subtle. I was expecting maybe a dress or something but not a quick color change." May looked over at Pikachu and noticed he was still sleeping with Ash's cap on his head. "Just like Ash. Those two could sleep through a hurricane when they're sleeping as deep as this." May suddenly remembered what Mew had said.

'These next forty-eight hours will test you…the forty-eight hours start now.'

"Right. I don't have time to waste." May said as she retied her bandanna. "Come on Pikachu lets go." She picked the mouse Pokémon up and planted him on her head.

"Piika." The lightning type groaned as it awoke. As his vision cleared he noticed he was hanging onto a blue bandanna. He jumped down onto the shoulder of the human in blue and was delighted to discover it was May. "Pika!" He chirped.

"Good to see you too Pikachu." May smiled back. "Come on. We've got to find Ash and Team Rocket." She told the Pokémon as she pushed deeper inland.

Ash awoke in a cold sweat. "That was… one hell of a nightmare." He panted. "Pikachu, May. I hope wherever you are, you're all right."

Meowth poked his head into the shelter. "Hey you're awake. Good. Jesse found da Gyrados sub we got stashed here. We're getting ready to leave. We're gonna load you into the back and get you to a hospital somewhere, probably back in Kanto."

"Come on Meowth we don't have time to dilly dally." James told the scratch cat as he walked past. "Grab the twerp and lets go."

"Right James cause a ten pound cat is gonna be able ta carry a hundred and five pound human with a broken leg by himself. Give me a hand ya nincompoop." Meowth scolded.

"Oh right. Guess I should have thought that through a bit more huh?" James said as he rubbed the back of his head embarrassed.

"Wait. You're taking me to Kanto? What about May and Pikachu?" Ash asked, distraught. "The Jenny's will kill them."

"Relax kid, the Jenny's won't kill if they can help it." Jesse said as she carried tins of Pokémon food they had stored there for a year. "Capture and detain yes, kill no. Trust me I know from experience."

"I'm sure you do." Ash slyly shot back.

"PikaPi! PikaPi!" Pikachu called out.

"Ash? Ash where are you?" May yelled as they searched. "He must have landed on the other side. I don't like the vibe this place is giving off." May said, her Pokémon instincts kicking in once more.

The pair of Pokémon walked through an abandoned mine shaft. May used her psychic abilities to generate a light sphere in front of them.

"Pik." The electric type grunted as it walked into something that the light didn't catch.

"Huh? Is that a hatch?" May asked.

"Pika." The mouse Pokémon said as it rubbed the sore spot on it's face.

"Come on. Maybe there's something down there that will help us find Ash." May called up to the Pokémon as she mounted the ladder that was inside the hatch.

"Chu." The Pokémon nodded as it jumped onto her shoulder.

Together they descended into the darkness beneath.

Dawn found herself wandering angrily through Veilstone. People moved to avoid her. Her Piplup seated upon her shoulder trying desperately to calm her down.

"First May shows up and steals Ash from me, then Ash shoots me down and Brock just destroyed what was left of me. I should just head into the next town and forget about them all." Dawn told herself. "But I could never really do that. I'm to in love with Ash to let go." Dawn looked up at where she had ended up. In front of the department store again. She slumped against the wall and just sat there. Her eyes were wide open as she looked at the game corner.

"Piplup pip?" The penguin Pokémon asked its trainer.

"It's alright Piplup. Return." Dawn told her starter as she recalled it into its ball. She returned to staring at the game corner. Her pupils getting smaller with each passing minute. " He's evaded my love and capture with her help. But he won't escape any more. The second they come back I'm separating them myself." Dawn scowled.

May and Pikachu reached the bottom of the shaft and found themselves in a lit chamber.

"It looks like a base." May remarked as they walked onward.

"Piika." The mouse Pokémon agreed.

Voices wafted down to the chamber the duo were in.

"Those dumb Jenny's fell for it." One said.

"That sounds like Ash." May gasped.

"And the real trio took the blame. I say we stir things up in Hoenn now." The other said.

"And that sounds like… me?" May questioned.

"Pika!" echoed down the hall.

"Pikachu be quiet." May scolded the Pokémon still on her shoulder.

"Pi? Pikachu pi." The Pokémon said.

"But if it wasn't you then who… Pikachu we found our real troublemakers. Doppelgangers." May said with a determined look on her face..


	5. Chapter 5:Desperate situations

"Pikachu?" The electric Pokémon asked.

"I don't know how they did it Pikachu. But we don't have to understand it. We just have to stop them." May told lightning mouse as she ran in the direction of the voices. "I hope Ash is okay."

"Any reason I'm in the storage bay?" Ash asked.

"I already told ya. There ain't no room up here for ya. This sub was only meant for a maximum occupation of three." Meowth called back through the metal. "Besides we're entering Team Rocket territory and if da boss found out we was helpin a civilian we'd be toast."

"But we're going to have to surface in Cerulean if we want to avoid the law onshore." James remarked. "There is a river running alongside Cerulean so we can surface, change into our disguises and take the twerp to the hospital there."

"If you're going to help me then at least use my real name. My friends and I call you by your names." Ash said.

"I think I liked him better when he was out cold." Jessie remarked snidely.

"It'd coitanly make it easier to get his disguise on him." Meowth agreed.

"I still can't believe we saved those disguises. Good thing we now have standard issue voice modifying necklaces. I don't think anyone would buy his act with the disguise we have planned for him." James added. "I mean he barely fooled the girls at the Celadon gym last time."

"Oh no." Ash whined. "You kept the Ashley costume?"

"Indeed we did. And with no Pikachu around to blow your cover, and the voice modifier, nobody will ever pick it's you." Jessie smiled.

"I just hope Misty doesn't walk in and find me. She'd recognize that disguise. Then she'd kill me." Ash sighed. "I hope May and Pikachu are alright."

"Talking to yourself Dawn?" Brock said to himself. Sighing he looked at his friend as he rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose this is everyone's fault but hers. The only thing she did was fall in love with a boy she knew she had no chance with. The signs were there. The fact he was willing to be good friends with her right from the start, supporting her through everything. He wasn't showing affection. He was just being a good friend."

"Talking to yourself Brock?" Came a teasing tone from behind.

"Hey if you don't mind I'm trying to think of a way to cheer up my… Gary is that you?" Brock asked.

"Yup. My grandfather sent me out here to try and find Ash for some reason. Not sure why but I've been too busy studying Pokémon to notice the latest news." Gary told the former gym leader.

"Well if you don't know I'll tell you cause I saw it happen with my own two eyes." Brock told the junior researcher. " It happened about two days ago. Ash and May had just become an item and Dawn was seething about it. Ash said some pretty hurtful things and Dawn took off crying into the city. After I found her we were getting ready to spend the night in the Pokémon centre when the game corner exploded. Ash and May ran out carrying bags of money. We found them the next morning asleep just outside the city limits. So now me and Dawn are working with the GJN to try and stop them. That's about it in a nutshell."

"Right so it's total Taurosshit then?" Gary asked

Dawn had heard the two talking and walked over to them, fuming that Gary had called it a lie.

"It's not Taurosshit. I saw it happen too. They're both guilty! I want Ash's head on a platter and May's on a pike!" Dawn yelled with fire in her eyes.

"Yes it is. Ash is too thick to plan a robbery. He's also too moral. No way would he even think of helping the bad guys. Let alone be one." Gary retorted, showing complete and utter lack of respect for the blue haired girl's opinion. A ringing sound began to emanate from the purple shirt he wore under his lab coat. "It's gramps, sorry I gotta take this." He said as he opened his Pokédex. "Yo gramps."

"Gary my boy any luck finding Ash?" Professor Oak asked.

"None gramps. But I did run into Brock and Ash's latest companion Dawn." Gary answered.

"Hi Professor, I already filled Gary in on the situation. He's taking Ash's side in it and Dawn isn't too happy about that. Neither am I." Brock told the professor from over Gary's shoulder.

"Why is that Brock?" Oak asked.

"I'll explain from the Pokémon centre." Brock told the researcher as he dragged Dawn away from Gary.

"If I know Ash he's probably on his way back to Kanto with May and Pikachu now." Oak told Gary. "Head to Cerulean city. It's the only place he could go without alerting the Global Jenny Network."

"On it Gramps." Gary said as he closed his Pokédex."Come on out Swellow."

A big blue swallow-like bird appeared and announced it's presence with a loud call. "Swellow!"

Gary climbed onto it's back, "To cerulean city Swellow."

"Swellow!" The Pokémon cried again before it took off and flew in the direction of Kanto.

"Good thing we got that disguise specialist to give us these non-standard voice modulators. Don't you agree Batch?" Cassidy asked her partner.

"My name is Butch. And yeah. Everyone totally believes it's those pathetic kids who knocked over that game corner." Butch agreed.

"And turning her into a Pikachu with her own Ditto's was a stroke of genius." Cassidy laughed. "Now turn your voice modulator on and lets go hit the Hoenn game corner next."

"Right. Next stop Mauville city." Butch said as he fiddled with the back of his necklace.

"Oh no you don't!" May called out. "I'm not going to let you tarnish mine and Ash's good names any further!"

"Pikachu!" The mouse Pokémon added from May's shoulder,

"Looks like the real deal showed up. In some new blue duds too." Cassidy smiled.

"Yeah. Too bad we don't got time to play." Butch .

"Looks like we'll have to finish the job your father couldn't." Cassidy said as she produced a handgun.

"Yup. I hate to be on clean up duty but it ain't every day we get to take out a human." Butch said as he too pulled out a pistol.

"Leave my family out of this!" May screamed. She swung her right hand in an upwards arc and loosed a PSI wave.

Cassidy and Butch sidestepped the wave and watched as the barrels of their pistols clattered to the floor.

"Well well that's new." Cassidy remarked through gritted teeth.

"A second slower and we'd be in halves." Butch wiped his brow with his hand.

"To slow!" May yelled as she launched a pair of psychic blasts from her hands.

Cassidy threw a little piece of metal on the ground. It floated up to about midroom height and deployed eight arms which charged an energy field and reflected Mays psychic blasts back at her.

"Ugh." May grunted as she hit the floor. A blackness rushed in on her eyesight.

"See ya kid. We'll deal with you when we get back." Cassidy said as she turned on her voice modulator and ran off.

"Hey wait… come… back." May struggled to get up before the blackness washed over her and she fell unconscious.

Ash felt a shiver go up his spine as May fell unconscious. "That's strange. I've felt that feeling before. Damn it's dark in here. Team Rocket must have closed the window that lets them see back here. If I could just reach Chimchars Pokéball I could see by the light of his tail." Ash closed his eyes as he felt around for his Pokéballs. "Ahh. My Pokéballs! I must have left them in my backpack outside Veilstone." Ash sighed as he forced himself to calm down. "Relax. They're probably nice and safe in an evidence locker somewhere." As he breathed out, blue flames began to appear everywhere. In vague outlines of water Pokémon. "Huh? Aura's? I have Aura vision like Lucario's do?" A memory from when he was doing his badge quest for Hoenn flashed into his mind.

"Sir Aaron?" Lucario asked.

"Telepathy?" Ash asked, a confused look on his face.

Lucario opened his eyes. "Huh? You're aura looked just like my masters."

"So I do have Aura powers. Cool. But that means something happened to May. That's what I sensed earlier. I have to help her." Ash tried to roll over and pick himself up. "But I can't move. Damn it. I'm sorry May."


	6. Chapter 6: 36 hours left

"Remind me again why we're running to escape our own underground tunnel network?" Butch asked as he ran.

"Because Baff. I set of the self destruct mechanism to take out the girl and their Pikachu. The Hoenn tunnel is sunk. The Sinnoh and Johto tunnels are already sealed off." Cassidy explained as alarms wailed around them.

"It's Butch." Butch reminded her flatly.

"Whatever. Just jump. There's a submarine up ahead." Cassidy told her partner.

"Pika. Pika. Pikachu?" Pikachu nudged May trying to wake her up.

May stirred and picked herself up off the ground. "Wha? What happened? What's with all the noises?" she asked as a piece of piping fell and crushed the shield generator.

"Pika!" The electric type yelled with joy as the coordinator pulled herself to her feet. He quickly jumped onto her shoulder, Ash's cap still planted firmly on the mouse Pokémon's head.

"Give me a jolt Pikachu. I'm still half asleep." May told the Pokémon as she held herself up on the fallen pipe.

"Pika." The lightning mouse nodded as sparks began to dance across his red cheeks. "Piii kaaa." Pikachu charged the sparks by absorbing them and outputting them again. "Chuuuu!" The electric type cried as it let off a weak shock.

"Ahhh!" May's voice warbled with the shock as the electric current travelled through her body and up the pipe to a broken monitor on the wall, activating it.

A timer appeared on screen counting down from three minutes and twenty-five seconds.

"We've barely got enough time to make it back to the hatch let alone escape." May gasped. "We better get moving. C'mon Pikachu." May told the electric type riding shotgun on her shoulder.

"Pikachu." The mouse Pokémon agreed.

The duo took off down the hallway they had come from.

"If I just concentrate maybe I can get an Aura sphere to form and light the bay." Ash thought. He began to focus and a small blue sphere he size of his eye formed in his hand, illuminating half the bay. "That was easier than I thought." Ash told himself as the sphere dimmed and shrank before disappearing as if it never existed. "Too much too soon. I'll practice later."

"We're almost there Swellow. We're entering Johto airspace now." Gary told his Swellow.

"… and that's why I think they should be locked up." Brock told Professor Oak over the phone.

"Okay. Let me see if I have this straight. You think Ash got bored playing the hero so decided to rob a game corner to add a little spice to his life?" Oak asked, his left hand planted on his face while his right hand seemed to hold up both.

"Yeah. That's what I believe." Brock told him. "If that's his new idea of fun I want no part of it."

"And Dawn thinks it was just because May rejoined that he got this sudden urge to go and rob a game corner. So Dawn wants May gone because…?" Oak asked again.

"Dawn wants May gone so she can try and hook up with Ash." Brock told Oak.

"Gary was right Brock. It's Taurosshit. Good bye." Samuel cut the connection and sighed.

Brock was fuming. "Everyone in Pallet town is going to be on Ash's side! With a whole towns support, not to mention all the high ups we helped, Ash and May essentially have an almost unlimited amount of get out of jail free cards. They Jenny's will have to drag the away in body bags."

Dawn sat huddled in corner of the Pokémon centre. She had Ambipom's Pokéball in her hand. She looked at it in disgust and threw it to the ground. "Send it to Oak, or Rowan. I don't want it anymore." She told Brock.

Brock bent down to pick it up and paused to look at his friend. 'She's broken. She doesn't know what to think anymore.' He thought to himself.

"Ahem. Are you going to move or is everyone going to have to stare at that arse of yours. Although I'm not complaining." A voice asked.

Brock straightened up and turned around, his cheeks and the bridge of his nose had gone bright pink. "I'm sorry miss. Just got lost in thought that's all." Brock looked at the woman who had done something he was normally quite capable of doing himself. "Wait. You're a Nurse Joy? Normally a Joy wouldn't even look at me twice."

"Yes I am. And like I said, I wasn't complaining." The Joy told him.

Dawn picked herself up and went to get something to eat. "The whole worlds gone stupid." She muttered under her breath as she stormed off.

"There's the hatch Pikachu! But someone closed it." May sounded distraught.

"Pi-ka-chu" the mouse Pokémon said slowly.

"No I don't think it can be opened from this side. We might have to teleport out but. I'm not good at teleporting. Hell I'm barely bad at it. We'd have to climb the ladder to even stand a chance at getting out." May began to sound even more distraught. Then suddenly she had an idea. She lifted Pikachu off her shoulder and got ready to throw him.

"Pika! Pika! Pika!" The electric type panicked.

"Relax Pikachu. I'm going to throw you up to the ceiling and teleport you through it. I want you to open the hatch for me. Okay?" May explained.

Pikachu seemed more troubled by this plan as he began to squirm.

May's eyes began to glow blue as she used psychic on the electric type. "Three... two...one..." She threw Pikachu on one and guided him closer to the hatch with psychic. She misjudged, however and Pikachu hit his head on the ceiling. "Sorry Pikachu! No time to try the hatch now. I hope plan B works. If I have a plan B." The tunnel was caving in behind her. She caught Pikachu and held him in one arm while she put up a protect barrier to stop the explosions and falling debris from interrupting her.

Dawn sat in the Pokémon centre's cafeteria. "First May somehow comes back to life and steals Ash from me. Then they rob a game corner. Team Rocket is helping them, they're practically untouchable by the law. And now Brock is getting hit on by a Nurse Joy. Why am I the only sane person left in the world? And why am I the only one left out of the happiness?" she asked the imaginary person she was talking to. Again she had broken down into sobs.

Ash's Pokédex began to vibrate. "Hmm? A message. And a call? Message first. From Casey. 'Ash, I don't believe you'd do such a thing. I'm always beside you if you need help.' … Thanks Casey. Now to the call." Ash pressed the up direction on his Pokédexes D-pad and Zoey's face appears on the screen. "Oh hey Zoey."

Zoey was wearing a look of concern on her face. "Hey Ash. I'm in the Veilstone Pokémon centre for the night and guess who just started crying in the cafeteria?"

Ash screwed up his face. "I'm guessing Dawn. Brocks probably off hitting on the Nurse Joy."

Zoey smiled. "Right one one, wrong on one. Care to guess?"

Ash sighed in relief. 'Good. At least we've got one ally in Sinnoh.' Ash smiled. "I'm sticking with Dawn as correct but if Brocks not flirting then he's asleep."

Zoey laughed. "Dawn is crying downstairs but Brock has a date. The Nurse Joy asked him out."

Ash was shocked. "Wait… What?!?"

The hatch flew open with a gout of flame as May and Pikachu ran out of the cave.

"Next time, remind me to try that first Pikachu." May called across to the mouse Pokémon.

"Pika pika." The electric type replied snidely.

The explosion's shockwave caught up to them and lifted them off their feet, pushing them along with it. They were pushed out of the cave and smacked face first into a tree.

"I think my nose is bleeding." May remarked

"And that's when I called you." Zoey finished.

"Right. So Dawn sent Ambipom to Rowan or Oak, Brock got hit on by the Nurse Joy so he's on a date and none of them know you're up there?" Ash asked.

"Well… Dawn just walkedingottagobye!" Zoey cut the link and left Ash staring at a blank screen.

"Not good." He said to himself.

"Give me that Pokédex Zoey!" Dawn demanded as she stretched to grab it.

"No Dawn. You're blowing this outta proportion." Zoey snapped as she shoved Dawn to the floor. "You can cry and bitch all you want but nothing is going to change the way the world is. The way this is headed it may be the worst possible thing to happen in the next few weeks. But let's forget about the big picture for a second. Poor little Dawn lost a boy to someone who he obviously had a profound love for so now nothing else matters. Grow a brain Dawn. And while you're at it… grow up… just… just grow up. Until you do those two little things for me you are not to contact me."

Dawn was in tears again on the floor. "But Zoey. We're friends. You're meant to be with me on this."

"Don't call me your friend Dawn. After the way you've acted you have no right to be calling me your friend. Be glad at least Brock still see's you as a friend. Because I don't. At least not anymore. Goodbye Dawn." Zoey got changed and walked out of the room.

Brock and Joy were returning from their date when they saw Zoey walking out of the Pokémon centre.

"Hey Zoey." Brock called out.

"Get fucked Brock." Zoey called back.

Zoey opened her Pokédex to check the time. "Six twenty-two P.M. Six hours until today's end."


	7. Chapter 7:Climactica

May picked herself up off the ground and shook her head. "Well, that was a rush huh Pikachu?" she asked the electric type before looking around. "Pikachu?"

"Piika." The electric type moaned as he lay on the ground with spirals in his eyes.

"Ah." Gasped May as she rushed over to help the injured Pokémon as a helicopter descends. "Again? Get lost!" May cried as she launched a barrage of psychic blasts at the helicopter.

The door to the passenger section slid open and a top flew out as a familiar voice cried out "Capture on!"

The top began to circle May and Pikachu. "A ranger? I'm not about to have my powerful ass captured." May declared as she stood up and stomped the ground, creating a psychic fissure that shattered the capture device.

"May?" The voice called out in confusion as a girl leapt out of the helicopter. "My styler seems to think you're a Mew. Damn thing must be malfunctioning."

"Solanna!" May called back in surprise. "Yeah you keep thinking that." She mutters under her breath.

"What was that?" Solanna asked, looking up from her styler.

"Uhhh… ummm." May stammered. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"A couple from Mount Pyre reported the noise and since this island is a nature preserve I was sent to investigate. Nice clothes by the way." Solanna complimented May, looking her up and down.

"What? Oh these. A little outfit I picked up while I was in Johto." May lied. "you ever been to Johto?"

"Once. When I was a junior ranger I was sent to investigate some castle that had crystals grow over it one night. When I got there the crystals where gone and the townsfolk attributed the crystals disappearance to some kid and his Pikachu and Charizard. I caught a glimpse of the kid and his Pikachu leaving town with a red headed girl and a tall, tan skinned young man. Never saw them again." Solanna said wistfully. "Although I'm reasonably certain It's Ash."

"Yup." May chuckled. "Sounds like my Ash all right."

"Wait." Solanna stopped May and got right up in her face. "You and Ash are boyfriend/girlfriend now?"

May stepped back blushing. "Y-yeah. We actually got together not to long ago. But…" May dropped her head and sighed. "The world is laughing in our face. Some Team Rocket members disguised themselves as us and robbed a game corner. And left the loot with us. Then we kinda got separated." May's pokedex started to ring. She pulled it out of her bag and let out a squeal. "It's Ash." She exclaimed as she opened it and activated the video call function.

May and Solannas faces appeared on screen. "Ash, sweetie where are you? I've been looking for you." May asked.

"I'm fine May. Jesse and James are taking me to cerulean city to get my leg treated." Ash winced as he tried to move.

"Oh no! What happened to your leg?" May asked.

"A bullet tore through my right knee and broke it. I'd rather not be taken to Cerulean city though." Ash sighed.

"Cause Misty's gonna hunt you down and kill you for what you did?" May asked, already knowing the reply.

"Yeah. Could you try and get there before we do? I'd like to have you and Pikachu there with me." Ash asked

"No problem Solanna can drop me off. Right Solanna?" May asked as she turned around.

"Well I'm meant to be investigating here but I guess my pilot could drop you off at the hospital." Solanna considered.

"There's a secret network of tunnels underneath this island. The entrance is in that cave somewhere." May explained.

"And you're telling me this why?" Solanna asked.

"Equivalent exchange. I help you, you help me." May smiled as she picked up Pikachu, grabbed her pokedex off the rock she stood it on and ran to the now landed helicopter.

"Whatever. Pilot! Take this girl to cerulean city. Meet me back here." Solanna ordered him as she ran into the cave.

"See ya Solanna." May called after her. "And see you soon sweetie." May winked to the camera before cutting the connection and jumping into the helicopter.

Ash sighed and tries to get some sleep.

Light began to pour in around him. Waking him up. Meowth stood in the lights path.

"Last stop as you twoip. We're in Cerulean and dat means time to get in da dress." Meowth told him. "De act is you was out playin in da grass near da river wit ya pet Pokémon, played by yours truly, when a Staryu popped outta da water and startled ya. Ya tripped and fell in a Dugtrio hole, which will be dug by Jesse and James, who will be acting as ya parents, will say we come from Johto, where dere ain't a whole lotta staryu, and dat we're here on vacation. You cry a little and tell em you sent me off ta find ya parents and you're in. got it?" Meowth asked as he struggled to get the disguise over Ash.

"I think so. All I really have to do is cry and say I sent you to get my parents." Ash remarked as Meowth planted the wig on his head and got to work on the necklace.

"Exactley. Now let's flip dis little beauty on and… there. Say something so I know it's woikin." Meowth asks a confused Ash.

"Hello." Ash says, but is surprised by the female voice that repeats what he says. "This will take some getting used to."

"No problem. We'll just say you hit your head fallin down. Work in a little bit of what happened and where am I. All ya need is a

Bump!" Meowth accentuated the word bump with a swift kick to Ash's head.

The jarring action sent a shiver down through Ash's body until it hits his broken knee which causes extreme pain. Tears well up in his eyes as he began to cry from the pain.

Meowth looked on in annoyance as Jesse and James return from digging the pit. "Don't cry yet! Save da waterworks for when we get to da hospital." Meowth spouted in annoyance.

"I'm no doctor Meowth but I think **her** knee is getting infected and it's causing extreme pain. We have to get our **daughter** to the hospital right now. So let's put on our disguises and get going hmmm?" James asked is teammates.

"Jeez what's her problem?" Brock asked Nurse Joy.

"I suspect it may have something to do with Dawn." Nurse Joy said, as she pointed to the top of the Pokémon centre.

Dawn stands on the edge of the roof, arms spread wide like a Staraptor ready to take flight. She leant forward and began to fall.  
Brock sprinted towards the Pokémon centre with Nurse Joy trailing. He dove and caught Dawn moments before she hit the ground.

Dawn opened her eyes and stared at Brock. "Why? Why did you catch me Brock? Why didn't you let me fall?" She asked him.

Brock looked back at her and replied "I'm not going to let you kill yourself Dawn. You're having a bad day. So what? Everyone has them." He picked himself up, still holding Dawn.

Nurse Joy watches on silently as Brock cradles Dawn and carries her inside.

Tracey entered the Cerulean gym carrying bags of Pokémon food. "Misty!" He called out. "Misty where are you?"

Misty stepped out from behind the bleachers, behind her a hallway stretches to the house section of the gym.

"What do you want Tracey? It's 12 in the morning." She replied, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Sorry to wake you but I saw Team Rockets Gyrados sub surface next to me while I was on my way here to deliver the Pokémon food. I was going to camp for the night but when the sub appeared next to me I ran here as fast as I could. If what Brock said is true then that means Ash is here in Cerulean somewhere." Tracey explained to Misty who instantly perks up at the mention of Ash.

"He's here! Where?" Misty asked as she rushed towards Tracey.

"I don't know. I just know that he's probably in the city somewhere." Tracey stammered as he took two involuntary steps back.

Misty got dressed and stepped out of the gyms front doors. A helicopter roars overhead and lands on top of Cerulean hospital.

May steps out of the helicopter with a now conscious Pikachu riding on her shoulder. "Thanks for the ride!" May yells to the pilot.

He gives her a thumbs up then takes off.

May checks the time on her pokedex. "12:22 am. That took longer than expected. Come on Pikachu. Lets grab us a disguise." May said as she slipped through the roof top access door and took the form of a nurse who walked past. She reached up and turns Pikachu into the Pichu the nurse had riding on her shoulder.

"Pichu pichu!" Pikachu cried out before May hushed it with her finger.

Misty pushed her way through Jenny's to reach the hospital. Tracey following closely behind.


	8. Chapter 8:Day 1 Climactica Crescendo!

"Nurse Jane? Nurse Jane get over here!" A doctor cried out.

May looked at the name tag on the uniform she had shifted into. "Guess that's us Pikachu." She whispered. "Coming Doctor."

"We have a patient for you. Little girl from Johto. She was startled by a wild Pokémon and fell into a hole dug by some Dugtrio. Looks like a broken knee. Girls name is Ashley. Her parents are here and I need you to operate on her knee. Tomorrow of course, for now just take her to her room." The Doctor briefed May.

"Yes of course Doctor. Which room should I take her to?" May asked as she bowed.

"Room 212 is empty. Take her there. I've sent the parents and their pet Meowth there already." The Doctor informed her.

"Yes Doctor. Right away." May walked over to the gurney the girl lay on. "Get on the gurney Pichu." May asked the seemingly devolved electric type.

"Pichu pi!" Pikachu called out as he recognized Ash's scent and began climbing all over the girl.

"Friendly little guy isn't he?" The girl asked.

"Yes. He normally isn't too fond of strangers." May told the girl.

"Meowth are you sure this will work?"Jessie asked the scratch cat.

"Trust me. Da twoip told me he called da twoipette and told her ta meet us here. She should be in da hospital somewhere." Meowth assured the red head.

"I hope so. These clothes are so itchy." James complained.

"Come on Misty. What makes you so sure he'll be at the hospital?" Tracey asked

"Because I saw a helicopter land on the roof. Someone got out and whoever they were they had a Pikachu on their shoulder. How many people keep Pokémon out of their Pokéballs?" Misty asked as she pushed her way through the hospital.

"I guess you're right but how do you know it wasn't one of the hospital staff? They all have Pokémon they keep out of Pokéballs. And I've seen at least 5 Pikachu's" Tracey tried to placate the angry gym leader. "What did he do to make you so hell bent on killing him?" he asked, trying to change the topic.

"In here." Misty shoved Tracey into a supply closet. "I'll tell you. But tell anyone else and I swear I'll end you too."

"I promise I won't tell anyone else." Tracey assured her, more out of fear than anything else.

"Okay. Me and Ash started going out right? Things started off okay, we went on a few dates to fancy restaurants. We made out on the beach, normal stuff y'know. One night he came to get me for a date we had planned. I had my sisters Lily and Violet, Professor Oak, Delia Ketchum, Brock and Gary there." Misty told him.

"Where was Daisy?" Tracey asked.

"She didn't want anything to do with what I was doing. Anyway Ash walked into the gym and around to the house we have attached to the gym." Misty continued but was interrupted by the door knob turning.

"Here we are. Room 212." May opened the door and wheeled the gurney in before closing and locking the door behind her. "Now, Jesse, James, Meowth. Do you want to tell me why Ash is in a dress?" May asked.

Ash looked shocked. "How do you know who I am?"

"Please Ash. Pikachu knows you anywhere" May told her boyfriend.

"But… this is a Pichu, And how would you know that my Pikachu knows me by scent?" Ash demanded.

"How does she know who we are?" Jesse asked stunned.

"Yeah. These disguises are fool proof." James agreed.

"You two are da fools!" Meowth snapped.

"Oh Ash you're such a fool." May laughed as she turned back into herself.

"May!" Ash exclaimed.

"It's da twoipette!" Meowth cried out in horror.

"How'd she do that?" Jesse asked, intrigued.

"More importantly, Where's Pikachu?" James asked, confused.

"Pichu Pichu!" Pikachu called out.

"Waah? Da little runt dere sez he's Pikachu!" Meowth translated.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot." May said as she touched Pikachu and turned him back into a Pikachu. "There. All's well. Except… Pikachu where's Ash's cap?"

"Pika pika, Pikachu, pi pika." The electric type said.

"He said…" Meowth began.

"So the explosion burnt Ash's cap to a crisp?" May asked.

"Pika." The mouse Pokémon nodded.

"How did she do that?." Meowth asked,crying.

"You what?" Tracey yelled, shocked, as he ran to keep up with the gym leader.

"I said I proposed to Ash." Misty repeated, slowing down as they reached a T-junction.

"Why?" Tracey roared.

"If you'll let me finish. I proposed to Ash because I thought he was the one. He wasn't. He told me he had his eye on another girl and he walked out. Lily and Violet tried to stop him but Daisy opened a window from outside and he dove out that way. He embarrassed me in front of my Sisters and Friends. Gary walked out saying he knew this would happen, Ash's mother said she didn't expect him to say yes and professor Oak just shook his head at me and walked out." Misty had a fire in her eyes at this point.

"Wow. He did something unforgivable. Any guy would be lucky to have you Misty. Ash is just too much of a dumbass to see that." Tracey said as rage filled his eyes. "I'll be honest now Misty, I've liked you for quite some time. if you'll let me I'll help you take him out!"

"I always knew you were a nice guy Tracey Sketchit. Come on." Misty said as she took his hand. "Let's go waste Ash."

"There. All done." May said as she finished healing Ash's knee. "Team Rocket you should get out of here. Your balloon is one the roof somewhere right?"

"Yeah but why would we leave?" Jesse asked.

"Cause. I've got some remodeling to do on this place." May said as she built up psychic energy in her right hand.

"I'll help you." Ash said as he stripped off the dress and wig. "This damn thing itches." He remarked as he pulled the necklace off before he charged an aura sphere in his hands.

"Pika!" Pikachu called out as he charged a thunderbolt.

"Well…" Meowth stared in amazement. "Time for us to go."

"Looks like Team Rockets running off again!" The trio yelled out as they ran to the roof.

Misty and Tracey watched the Trio run off and headed in the direction they'd come from.

"There! Room 212 is glowing pink, blue and yellow." Tracey pointed out.

"Let's go then." Misty said as she grabbed a pistol from one of the Jenny's patrolling the hospital.

An explosion rocked the hospital and threw the door to Room 212 off it's hinges.

Misty and Tracey burst through the smoke and saw Ash and May standing in front of a hole in the wall.

"Ash Ketchum!" Misty roared as she levelled the pistol with Ash's head. "You die today!"

"Jump!" May yelled.

"Come on Pikachu!" Ash called as the electric type jumped onto his shoulder.

Ash and May jumped through the hole as Misty pulled the trigger.

"We're not going to make it!" Ash cried as he realised their mistake.

"Pika pi!" Pikachu called out as he dove off Ash's shoulder.

"Pikachu don't be a fool!" May called to the electric type.

"Pika! Pikachu pika Pika pi!Pika pi. Pi Pikachu Pika pi chu Pikachu pi." Pikachu called back to the pair as the bullet flew towards him.

The bullet flew straight and true, striking the lightning mouse dead centre of the head.

"PIKACHU!" Ash and May cried out together as the electric type fell limply to the floor, a hole bored right through the middle of his head.

"Pikachu no." Ash whispered as tears filled is eyes again.

"Ash we have to get out of here!" May called as she grabbed him in mid fall.

May focused and the pair of humans glowed pink before vanishing into thin air right before they hit the ground.

Pikachu's body hit the ground and discharged all the electricity in his body, shocking Misty and Tracey into unconsciousness.

The couple reappeared just outside Pallet Town just as the clock on the entrance to the Oak ranch struck 6:22.

"Day one is over Ash. But… it doesn't feel like we won. More like we lost." May said as she began to cry.

"It's because Pikachu's dead. Misty killed him just like I'll kill her!" Ash said, his voice full of rage.

"Oh Ash." May cried as she hugged him.

"It's okay May. We'll have our revenge." Ash assured her as he returned her embrace.


End file.
